Eric has hidden all the Halloween candy from me. I really can’t find it anywhere. I made the mistake of buying it too early and have been snacking on it a bit too much while the kids are at school. Make a million batches of cornbread (or 8. The last one was still in the oven when I snapped this.) I tried Southern cornbread, Northern cornbread, and a bunch of in-between cornbreads. My final recipe is my personal favorite, but it’s clear that there are lots of opinions about this! My recipe is fluffy and sweet, with crispy edges. “How did you know??” “I saw all the wrappers in the trash!!” The days of putting one over on my kids are long gone you guys. I remember a few years ago when my kids were much smaller and easier to deceive, I was over at my friend Amy’s house. Her husband came into the kitchen and asked where their daughter’s Halloween stash was. Amy told him that their daughter COUNTS it, so don’t even try sneaking some when she’s not around. I knew right then that this is what my children would have to resort to in the future. I either need to stop candy thieving or get better at hiding the evidence. (I’m thinking the latter is going to win out.) I have always been extremely ho-hum about cornbread. Offer me dinner rolls or cornbread, and I will take the dinner rolls every time. Most of the time sweet cornbread is dry and sad and not worth the carbs. So I set out to create a recipe that would be worth it! There is a lot of debate surrounding cornbread. Southern cornbread? Northern cornbread? Sugar, no sugar? Skillet or cake pan? I’m from California. I claim no grandmotherly secrets. I didn’t know the first thing about cornbread or why people have strong opinions about it. But I wanted to get the dirt on all the controversy, so the answer?
Best Cornbread Recipe Tips
And if you’re looking to have more cornbread deliciousness in your life, be sure to check out this Cornbread Casserole Recipe or my Layered Cornbread Cake with Whipped Honey Butter Frosting!! Southern cornbread is baked in a preheated skillet with hot bacon grease, so that the edges get super crispy. It’s also thin: only about 1 inch tall. If you are from the South and you love this type of cornbread, please tell me what I am missing. (embrace the crispy edggge) I took the crispy edges from Southern cornbread and the fluffy texture of Northern cornbread to make my own hybrid version of the best homemade sweet cornbread. Plus a whole lot more sugar. Because, guys, let’s be real, we are topping it with butter and honey, let’s just accept the fact that it is basically a cake with some cornmeal in it. And it is DELICIOUS. This is not an apology. (why would I apologize for this) You need two bowls for this recipe, and one of them only has dry ingredients, so when you are done you can wipe it clean and put it away. (Can you tell I hate dishes?) The batter is slightly lumpy, and that’s okay. Preheat your cast iron skillet in the oven, then grease with a bit of butter. The cornbread batter going into a hot skillet is part of what makes the edges crispy. You can see it bubbling and cooking on the edges of the pan before you even put it in the oven! Yesssss
This would be so good topped with Lemon Curd! Even better: this Cinnamon Honey Butter. Heaven! Turn it into cornbread shortcake and drizzle with Fresh Strawberry Topping. Oh my gosh, I think I’m onto something here!! With some honey whipped cream? Who’s here for it??
Chili Mac and Cheese « I bring regular chili to the parties, but this Chili Mac is what we make for the family on actual Halloween every year. Easy White Chicken Chili « 30 minutes and done! Who can say no to this classic? Cream Cheese Chicken Chili « this one is made in the crock pot and is SO easy. Quick and Easy Chili Recipe « Don’t forget the secret ingredient!
You could also try cornbread with:
Pulled Pork and a side of Coleslaw! Any kind of BBQ like this Tri tip Dunk it in this Beef Barley Soup Fried chicken, I mean right? Try this recipe from Recipe Tin Eats. Jam. Listen, if you put on enough jam, and eat enough cornbread, who says it’s not a meal? (I know. I know. I said I only ate cornbread with honey and butter but…sometimes I eat it with jam too, okay?)
And that’s it! Cornbread is one of the easiest side dishes ever. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to mix up the ingredients and get it in the oven. Make it! Love it! Happy Halloween everyone!
How to reheat Cornbread
When you take it out of the freezer, thaw the cornbread at room temperature, then serve as-is, or warm in the oven at 350ºF until heated through (or microwave single slices). UPDATE February 2024: This recipe was developed for a 9-inch cast iron skillet. But, very often I need to take a big batch of cornbread to an event, and the cast iron is not practical for that (plus doesn’t make a ton.) So I went back to the drawing board on making this recipe in a 9×13 inch pan. I’ve included my updated notes at the bottom of the recipe card! Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
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